pam; 

MiSC, 


A  33 


What  Can  the  Young  people 
Do  For  the  Bible  Cause  ? 

BY  WILLIAM  SHAW, 

Treasurer,  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor* 

THIS  is  a  practical  question,  and  deserves 
a  practical  answer.  I  might  confine  my¬ 
self  to  referring  to  the’  need  of  cultiva¬ 
ting  a  personal  love  for  the  word  on  the  part 
of  the  young  people,  or  speak  of  plans  and 
methods  of  securing  better  results  from  Bible 
study.  But  the  Spirit  does  not  lead  me  along 
these  lines.  As  a  business  man,  I  have  been 
thinking  of  the  business  side  of  the  question. 

The  American  Bible  Society  is  the  recog¬ 
nized  agency  for  the  publication  and  circulation 
of  the  Bible.  It  was  dear  to  the  hearts  of  the 
fathers  who  gave  to  it  largely  both  of  prayer 
and  money.  But  for  some  reason  it  dropped 
out  of  sight  while  the  claims  of  other  forms  of 
missionary  work  were  pressed  upon  the  churches. 
Some  months  ago,  I  heard  Mr.  Colton  (the 
special  Agent  for  Eastern  Massachusetts)  de¬ 
liver  the  first  address  on  the  needs  of  the  Bible 
Society  that  I  have  heard  for  more  than  fifteen 
years.  A  generation  has  grown  up  that  “  knows 
not  Joseph,”  and  to  whom  the  story  of  the  mag- 


2 

nificent  work  done  by  this  old  Society  is  as  fresh 
as  the  latest  novel. 

Therefore,  in  answering  the  question  I  have 
asked,  I  would  say  : 

i.  Let  the  young  people  inform  themselves 
concerning  the  work  that  must  be  done  by  this 
Society,  if  it  is  to  be  done  at  all.  The  work  is 
fundamental.  Before  any  real  progress  can  be 


made  in  mission  lands,  the  people  must  have  the 
word.  If  I  had  to  choose  between  the  mission¬ 
ary  without  the  Bible,  or  the  Bible  without  the 
missionary,  I  would  choose  the  later.  God’s 
word  shall  not  return  unto  him  void.  But  I 
need  not  say  that  I  prefer  both  the  man  and  the 
Book. 


3 

2.  By  furnishing  a  score  or  a  hundred  such 
splendid  fellows  as  Captain  Carrington,  the  ear¬ 
nest  Christian  Endeavorer,  who  is  scattering  the 
Bible  in  Siam.  No  better  missionary  work  is 
being  done  by  any  man  in  any  land. 

3.  The  most  important  service  the  young 
people  can  render  to  this  and  every  other  good 
cause,  is  to  make  their  business  a  branch  of  the 
King’s  business.  The  loudest  call  for  the  ex¬ 
tension  of  Christ’s  kingdom  to-day  comes  to 
business  men.  And  yet  there  are  many  young 
men  who  when  converted  think  they  must  enter 
the  ministry.  The  men  and  the  machinery  are 
ready,  but  the  money  is  minus.  God  made  sil¬ 
ver  ore  as  well  as  sermon  ore,  but  man  must 
mine  and  mint  it  before  it  will  pass  current  in 
the  markets  of  the  world.  People  to-day  do 
not  need  special  instruction  as  to  how  to  make 
money,  but  we  do  need  light  on  how  to  spend  it. 
Young  people  need  to  be  taught  that  it  is  just 
as  sacred  a  thing  to  make  money  for  the  exten¬ 
sion  of  God’s  kingdom  as  to  make  sermons. 
More  than  anything  else,  the  Bible  Society  needs 
money  to-day  that  it  may  enter  open  doors  with 
God’s  word. 

What  shall  we  do.  Make  provision  for  the 
presentation  of  this  work  in  the  churches.  In¬ 
form  the  people.  Give  them  a  chance  to  give. 
Let  the  seed,  which  is  the  word,  be  scattered, 
and  abundant  harvests  will  be  ours. 


PLEASE  FILL  OUT  THIS  BLANK  AND  RETURN 
IT  AT  AN  EARLY  DATE, 


I  enclose  {or  pledge) . - — - . — . - . 

- - - Dollars  {$- . ) 

for  the  work  of  The  American  Bible  Society, 

Payment  to  be  made — - - 

to  William  Foulke ,  Esq.,  Treasurer ,  Bible  House, 
New  York,  N.  Y. 

Name . 


Street 


City 


State - - 

Date— . 

A  subscriber  of  $30  at  one  time  becomes  a  Life 
Member,  and  of  $150  a  Life  Director  of  the  Society. 

Gifts  of  $1  or  more  include  a  subscription  to  “World- 
Wide  Bible  Work,” 

Copies  of  this  Leaflet  may  be  had  for  free  distribu¬ 
tion,  in  limited  quantities,  upon  application  to  the 
American  Bible  Society. 


American  Bible  Society  Series,  No.  5. 


1903:4,1,10m 


